Phoenix
by StarrFlower
Summary: There is more than one type of magic in Alagaesia, and it has nothing to do with the Ancient Language... rated T for later scenes
1. Escape

**A/N: ****Hey there! So this fanfiction is absolutely nothing like the books but it starts off during Eldest. Hope you guys enjoy! **

Under a blood red sky, three people, seeming to be chased, ran across a large meadow. A mother, father, and a little girl with copper waves of hair ran as if their lives depended on it, which they did. A dark castle loomed in the distance behind them.

"Mama!" the little girl of eight cried out, "Where are we going?" Her mother was holding tightly to her hand and pulled her along faster.

"As far away from this hellish place as possible!" she yelled back to her. The little girls mother looked behind them and let out a little groan of frustration. Their pursuers were getting closer. "Run faster, Evangeline!" her mother said. Evangeline was growing tired and it seemed that there was no end in sight.

"Come along! We're almost there!" her father said. Evangeline guessed that they were heading toward the river where there was often a small boat docked on the shore.

She could barely hear the sound of gurgling water through the trees. She could also hear the sounds of shouting men and hungry dogs, ravenous for the taste of escapees. Evangeline looked back over her shoulder and let loose a little scream. They were right behind her and her large, violet eyes widened. Finally, her adrenaline started to pump and her little legs moved faster.

At last, they had made it to the small boat and jumped inside. Evangeline's father grabbed an oar, her mother grabbed the other, and they began to row. Luckily, the current was swift and the boat moved very quickly, delivering the small party from certain death.

"We made it!" Evangeline's mother cried out in joy. The river was wide and the bridge was not for another ten miles downstream, so they were safe from their assailants, for now. Shouts of protest from the men echoed down the river after them, but they fell upon deaf ears. The little family was only happy to have narrowly escaped with their precious lives.

"Where will we go from here, Papa?" Evangeline asked her father. An exasperated look crossed his face as he continued to row.

"I'm not sure, Eva. I wasn't even sure that we would make it this far," he said.

"We will go to my cousin's in Carvahall. There, we will be safe with Elaine and her family," her mother said. Her father nodded and began to change the direction of his rowing. He moved the boat towards the opposite shore.

The boat thudded to a stop on the bank and her father got out. He went a little way into the forest warily; checking to make sure it was safe.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" a voice said from behind a tree. The man who the voice belonged to stepped out in front of her father and his eyes widened in fright.

"Brea! Evangeline! Run! Qui-!" His voice was cut off as a blood red sword dug into his chest. Evangeline's mother stopped and screamed.

"Eva," she said, grabbing her only daughter by the shoulders, "you must run. Keep going until you get to a town and don't look back. Go!"

"No Mama, I don't want to go!" she said, beginning to cry uncontrollably.

"Eva! You must! Go, and I will come for you! Now run!" her mother screamed. Still crying, Evangeline relented and disappeared off into the dark forest, running for her life.

****

Evangeline had been walking for hours now and was very tired, very hungry, and very afraid. She had left the forest behind long ago and was now walking across a sparse, vast prairie. But that too was coming to an end. She was seeing less and less of grass and more and more of sand, and still no sign of a town, or any life at all, for that matter. After another half hour, and night coming on fast, Evangeline finally collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

When morning came, she was still lying there, but she was not alone on the prairie. A horse and rider were coming from the distance. The rider stopped when she reached the still body of the little girl. Jumping off her horse, the elf-woman knelt beside Evangeline. She turned her over and held her in her lap. Slowly, Eva opened her eyes and gazed up at her rescuer.

"Where am I?" Evangeline asked wearily, squinting her eyes, as they weren't yet accustomed to the light.

"Though I'm not sure why, you are on the outskirts of the Hadarac Desert," the she-elf said. "Who are you?" But Eva had already passed out again. The elf picked her up and put her on her horse. And so, the elf continued her journey home on her important mission, with an extra passenger, to Ellesmera.


	2. Bad News

**A/N: Hi there! So I probably forgot to tell you guys but this is the first installment in a three part series. The third part will be released when the fourth book comes out. That being said, ONWARD!! **

**P.S. (correction from my previous note: it actually starts at the end of Eragon…now ONWARD!!)**

"Bad news, I'm afraid," Queen Islanzadi said solemnly as she sat on her throne.

"How bad?"

"Very bad. It seems that there is a terrible battle going on at Farthen Dur as we speak," she replied.

"Arya is there though, right?"

"Yes, so it may turn out well. The battle is favoring us. We will wait until Arya sends back a full report to be sure," she said. "So, I trust you slept well, Evangeline?"

"It was not a fitful sleep, but still a bit less than enjoyable," Evangeline said as she poured a glass of water for the queen.

"Why do you say that? Did you have an unpleasant dream?" Queen Islanzadi asked.

"Yes," Evangeline replied blankly.

"Eva, come here," she beckoned. "You know that you can talk to me. I consider you more of a daughter than a simple ladies' maid. Tell me what's troubling you."

"Well, it's been eight years since Arya found me in the desert, but I still dreamt of that awful day. The day we escaped the castle," Eva said, sitting at the feet of the queen, looking down at her hands.

"So that's what this is about?" the queen asked, gently stroking Eva's copper waves of hair. Eva looked up with her big, hazel eyes that had the makings of tears in them. "I understand what you're feeling, Eva, and it's completely normal for a girl of your age. Your parents were torn away from you when you were very young, then you were brought to a strange new world, discovered strange powers, and you were brought up by an elven queen. That is very hard. But you can't let it go on afflicting you for the rest of your life."

"I know, but it's so hard to forget what that evil man did to us," Eva said angrily.

"No one is asking you to forget, just to remember less often," the queen said, laughing a little bit, bringing a smile to Eva's face. "Now, keep that smile on your face and go have some fun today." Eva's eyes brightened and she smiled even wider than before.

"Really? You mean it?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes! Why don't you go and talk to Oromis, I'm sure he'll enjoy the company," the queen said reassuringly. Eva jumped up excitedly and started to run out of the throne room.

"Thank you!" Eva called back over her shoulder as she left out the door.

Ever since Arya had found her in the desert eight years ago and brought her to Ellesmera, Evangeline had only a very few people she was close to: Queen Islanzadi, who'd been like a mother to her, Arya, who was the sister she'd never had, and Oromis and his golden dragon, Glaedr. She'd stumbled upon their hut one day when she was exploring in the forest and she and Oromis had gotten into a lengthy conversation. Since that day, he had been like her loving grandfather that always knew how to make her laugh.

It had been this way ever since she'd reached the age of ten and realized that her mother was never coming for her. So, she resorted to her adopted family. But something was still missing.

When she turned thirteen she discovered that she had amazing powers, but she wasn't an elf, and she certainly wasn't human. So where had the powers come from? She needed to know who she was. Oromis was doing his best to teach her how to control her powers, but he didn't know her kind of magic. It was different from what they used here in Alagaesia. So where was her magic from? She didn't know, but she was intent on finding out.

Eva ran through the woods until she came to Oromis' house on the cliff. Glaedr swooped down from the sky and landed heavily on the ground next to her.

"Hello, Glaedr! Good to see you too!" Eva said happily, laughing as Glaedr nuzzled her so hard that she fell over.

"Well! It's been a long time. Glaedr, get off of her!" Oromis said as he came out of his hut. Oromis extended a hand to help her up and she gladly took it. "Good to see you again, Eva. Islanzadi has been keeping you busy. You haven't been by to see me in a while."

"I know. I'm sorry," Eva said following him into the hut. "But I'm back now. The queen gave me the day off today."

"That's good, very good. So, what would you like to do today?" Oromis asked, sitting across the small table from Eva. "I fear we won't be able to spend as much time together from now on."

"Why is that?" she asked.

"Oh, it's just that the new Rider, Eragon, will be here soon to begin his training."

"Oh, I see," she said softly. "So, the new Rider is coming. That's exciting; very good news."

"I hope so, but let's talk about you. How are things going, with your powers I mean?"

"Oh, fine, a little unruly at times, but fine. But, I had the dream again last night," she said solemnly.

"Ah, I see. And how long has it been since you last had the dream?" he asked seriously.

"At least four years, that's why it's so strange. It feels different than the other times, like it's a sign of something to come," she said.

"Perhaps, but most likely as not. Have you been thinking of your mother or father lately?" Oromis asked.

"I think of them every day. It doesn't make any sense. As do a lot of other things." This last statement she said under her breath and Oromis barely heard her.

"What other things ate confusing you? I could sense you were troubled from the moment I saw you come out of the forest," he said.

"Practically everything right now," Eva said, exasperated. "I've been thinking about these powers a lot lately." Eva stretched her hand out in front of her and produced a glittering ball of black flame. "Where did they come from? Where do _I _come from?" These questions were directed to herself. "I have this great power but I'm just sitting here, safely nestled in the capital city, when I could be out there using these powers for good, helping the new Rider."

"You're thinking of leaving this place." It was a statement, not a question. "I don't blame you. You are young and feel the need for adventure. I believe it would do you good to leave here."

"I feel like this dream is calling me back. Back to where this whole thing started," she said.

"His castle," Oromis added to the end of her statement. Eva got up from the table and clenched her hand into a fist, snuffing out the flame that had still been flickering there.

"Yes," she said angrily, "but not until I help the new Dragon Rider. I feel like I need to be of some use to somebody before I venture out." She turned away from the window where she'd been standing, her tone softening a bit.

"I'm glad. I haven't met Eragon yet, but I'm sure he could use some help. You can leave with him when his training is over," Oromis said. Eva came back to sit down at the table.

"Do you think he'll be able to defeat Galbatorix?" she asked, crossing her arms on the table.

"I don't know, but not now, not until he finishes his training. I hope he'll be able to though. Hopefully he'll be able to get the other two dragon eggs as well and we'll have more Riders. Hmmm…hope. It seems this entire wars' foundation is on hope," Oromis said.

"Well, hopefully we can rely on it." They both laughed at Eva's little joke and continued their conversation. "Oromis? What's it like to be a Rider?" Eva asked, picking at a loose spot in the wooden table mindlessly.

"Better than anything you could ever imagine," Oromis said fantastically.

"I don't know," Eva retorted, not unkindly, "I can imagine some things that are pretty wonderful."

"Yes, that's true. But it's an amazing experience that just can't have words put to it. I hope that one day you'll be able to experience it for yourself," Oromis said with a hint of sadness in his voice and his eyes.

"Me? A Dragon Rider?" Eva said incredulously. "There's no way I could ever be a Rider." Oromis just shrugged his shoulders and smiled devilishly, as if he knew something no one else did.

"Fine. Keep your little secrets," she said very matter-of-factly after he refused to say anything more on the subject.

"I will, thank you," he replied. Eva meant to stick out her tongue at him, but then thought better of it.

"Anyways, I have to go check on Talia in the stables. I'll stop by later if you like," Eva said, getting up from the table and heading for the door.

"No, no, that's fine. Go, have fun. Take Talia for a ride, it'll do you some good," he said, waving his hand at her.

"Alright then," Eva said, and then she left.

~*~

Eva walked slowly to the stables as young elves all around her sparred with each other on the practice field. She entered the stables to be greeted by the sound of neighing horses.

"Hello, Talia, how are you?" Eva said lovingly, stroking the black horse's nose. She whinnied happily and ruffled her jet-black wings. "You ready to go for a ride?" she asked. As in response, she neighed loudly.

"That animal never shuts up when you're around," a voice said from behind Eva. She whirled around to face her verbal attacker. When she saw who it was she let out a frustrated sigh.

"Don't you have anything better to do than to verbally abuse me and my horse, Vanir?" she asked angrily as the elf moved closer to her.

"Aw, but it's so much fun. What would I have to do if you weren't around?" he asked, trying very hard to annoy her.

"I'm thinking…go fall off a cliff. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan to me," Eva said venomously.

"Yes, but you'd miss me so much," he retorted, playing with a strand of her copper colored hair. Unable to take it any longer, Eva's hand shot up and her nails dug into Vanir's wrist, drawing blood.

"Believe me, Vanir, no one would miss you," she spat. Viciously, she shoved his hand back and he cradled his injured wrist. Eva climbed into the saddle and spurred her horse out. "You might want to bandage that up, " she said as she passed by Vanir, Talia's wing hitting him in the face as they left the stable.


	3. The Pool of Eternity

**A/N: OK this is just a friendly warning to everybody: this is where the story might get a little weird, but I told you, it's not like the books. That being said, to the story!!**

Eva went out to the edge of the practice field for her take-off. It was always a big spectacle whenever she took off on Talia, and this was no exception. Everyone was fascinated with the winged horse.

When Eva had met Talia, she had been lost in the forest. It was dark; she was alone, and very afraid. Eva had come to a clearing and could just make out the rough shape of a baby horse lying in the grass. Not really remembering how, Eva somehow talked to the horse and she learned that it was lost too.

Talia was still very young at the time but was just big enough to carry the nine-year-old girl. They made it out of the forest and had been friends ever since. Eva had tried to talk to the horse again once before, but nothing happened. So, she stuck to just talking with her mouth instead of her mind.

As they stood preparing to take-off, people sort of mingled around them, waiting to see what would happen; Talia always had some fancy trick up her sleeve.

Talia spread her wings majestically and set off at a gallop. Suddenly, she vaulted into the air and flapped her wings, soaring into the sky. She did a kind of backwards loop then, when she came out of the loop, did a full on barrel roll. Eva screamed with delight as she hung tightly to Talia's long, flowing mane. The wind flew by in Eva's hair, filling her senses with the wonderful smells of the forest. She closed her eyes and completely immersed herself in the experience.

"This must be somewhat how it feels to be a Dragon Rider," Eva said to herself. "Talia! Land down there!" Eva pointed towards a clearing below them in the forest. Talia tilted her body and went into a slow, swirling spiral, finally landing softly in the grass. "This place," Eva said softly, "I remember it." Suddenly, it came to her. "This is where we first met, Talia." The horse neighed slightly and reared back her head. Talia seemed unsettled, almost afraid. "What's wrong?" Eva asked. Talia shied the ground, indicating that they should get out of here. Eva took the hint and spurred the horse forward, causing Talia to rear high into the air.

Out of the darkness of the trees, a black shadow erupted into the light, it's red eyes seeming to pierce through to the very soul. Eva screamed and turned Talia around, trying to find enough space for the horse to take-off. But there was none to be found. They set off at a full run, dodging around the tightly knit trees.

Eva looked over her shoulder and saw the black shadow-creature running on all fours, coming after them. Suddenly, Eva felt the horse lurch forward, and then Talia was gone. She was falling through the air when, out of nowhere, she was surrounded by water and then…darkness.

~*~

When Eva could see light again, she also saw a hand grabbing for her through the crystal clear water. The hand took hold of her green tunic and dragged her out of the water. Eva came up onto the soft grass and coughed the water out of her lungs.

"That must have been a nasty fall, from the looks of it," a voice said from above Eva's head. Most likely the owner of the hand, Eva thought. "But, you're all right now, and that's all that matters." The voice had a heavy accent that Eva didn't recognize.

"Who are you?" Eva asked drearily. She shielded her eyes with her hand from the blinding light of what she assumed to be the sun. "Where am I?"

"Well, dear, I don't think that's the correct question to be asking. The correct question is 'when are you?'" the voice said. Suddenly, the light moved and Eva was able to see clearly. In fact, the light was not the sun, but a lantern held by a beautiful woman in very strange clothing. "Come on, get up off the ground." The woman extended a hand to the very wet Eva and pulled her off the ground.

"What do you mean 'when am I'?" Eva said, looking around wearily. There was a pool of water fueled by a waterfall to her right with a small river stemming out of it, and a lush forest to her left. But what was really strange was that it was nighttime. The stars wheeled above and the only light came from the strange woman's lantern. "What is this place?" she asked.

"You really don't know where you are, do you?" the woman asked. Eva nodded, resulting in a sharp pain in her forehead. A small "ouch" escaped her lips, but other than that, she said nothing. "Well, dear, welcome to the Pool of Eternity," the woman said.

"The what?" Eva asked.

"Are you deaf? Hello?" The woman knocked her fist on Eva's head.

"No, I can hear perfectly fine," she snapped. "Just tell me what the Pool of Eternity is." Eva slapped away the woman's hand.

"This is the place where all times meet. Where time has no beginning and no end. Eternity," the woman said, putting an arm around Eva's shoulder and leading her away from the pool. "See these doors?" she asked.

Eva looked around the forest and could barely see a wooden door covered in tangled vines. There was a brass knocker on it in the shape of a wild cat that gave Eva a strange feeling. She looked around her and saw that there were even more doors in the foliage.

"Where do they all go?" Eva asked.

"Do you think if I knew that I'd still be here right now?" the woman snapped. "Sorry, I know you're new around here. Anyways, the way things work around here is a little complicated. See, people come in through the doors, or, in some cases, through the Pool itself. Now, once you come in, if you are a mortal, it's very hard to get back out."

The strange woman led her down a wide path, the light casting eerie shadows on the trees. Eva could barely hear the gurgle of the pool now and was seeing more and more doors.

"What about people who aren't mortals?" Eva asked, moving away from the dark woods a little.

"You mean people like you?" the strange woman said. Eva whipped her head around.

"What!" she said incredulously. The woman's eyes widened as she realized her mistake.

"I've said too much. I cannot speak about it. I'm sorry," the woman said.

"Then who is going to tell me what's going on around here?" Eva asked angrily.

"Just wait until we get there," she said, trying to calm Eva down. Eva wasn't sure where "there" was, but she knew the woman wouldn't tell her, so she didn't even bother asking. The woman continued with her explanation. "So, if you're not a mortal, it's easier to travel back and forth through the Pool. We mortals have to wait for an immortal to come through for us to get out. Old Foxy has been here a long time and he just left when you came in, but who knows where he ended up."

"What do you mean?" Eva asked her.

"Well, no one really knows where the doors lead, except for the doors themselves, but don't expect them to tell you. And, even if you can tell where a door goes by looking inside when it opens, they change all the time. It's nearly impossible to configure where a door will open to."

"Why can't you just come back through the door if you end up in the wrong time?" Eva said, as if the woman was stupid.

"It's almost impossible to get back in once you go out, for a mortal of course," the woman said matter-of-factly.

"Oh," was all Eva said to that. "Well, where did you come from? Or rather, when?"

"Now you've got it," the woman said as she laughed. "Well, my name is Mary Elisabeth Greaves. I'm from Victorian era London, England."

"I've never heard of London before," Eva said.

"You wouldn't have. See, the doors don't only connect times, but also dimensions. You are from Alagaesia, if I guessed correctly by your clothes, and I'm from Europe," she said.

"I see," Eva replied, taking in all of this new and strange information.

"Ah, here we are," Mary said. Eva just looked around in confusion: they were only at the dead end of the path.

"Where?" Eva asked.

"That's the one thing I've learned about you immortals. You need to learn to see past the ends of your noses." Mary reached forward and grabbed hold of what looked to be a bush, but turned out to be a curtain of vines. Mary moved it aside and they disappeared through it.

They stepped out into a vast meadow that stretched on for what seemed like miles. In the center of the meadow, lay an enormous castle. It stretched up to the sky, turrets and towers jutting out of it from everywhere. "Welcome to the Castle of Time, Evangeline," Mary said.


	4. Bittersweet Reunion

**A/N: Hi there everybody! I just wanted to thank everyone (everyone being one person) that has reviewed this story so far. Solangedrama you are the best! Please, please, please review and tell me how I can make this story any better. Thanks for reading. On with the story!**

**P.S. (Yes I know that Arya is acting a little out-of-character but it's a fanfiction so I can make her act any way that I want)**

The two women reached the castle in a reasonable amount of time and crossed the bridge that spanned the deep trench that circumnavigated the structure. They went straight in and entered the foyer. Hundreds of people were roaming around, most of them in strange clothing, and a few in attire that Eva recognized.

"Come with me please," Mary said. She led Eva up the grand staircase and into a wide corridor with even more people. "The Castle of Time is a place that houses all those who are trapped here. It was built by a very powerful magician who helps us mortals. It is he that you will be speaking to.

They walked a little farther until they came to a magnificent door decorated with strange symbols. "Just through here," Mary said. She opened the door and they stepped inside a large study where a fire burnt brightly in the hearth. Only one thing was missing.

"So where is this great magician I'm supposed to converse with?" Eva asked skeptically.

"That is a very good question. Oh, dear. Well, he must have been called off on important business. He told me if that happened to give you this." Mary pulled a rolled up piece of parchment from the belt at her waist and handed it to Eva.

Eva pulled the seal off and read the note. It said this:

Evangeline,

You probably don't remember me; it has been fifteen long years, but we will talk when you return. And please, be careful.

"It's not signed," Eva said. "Who is this man?" Eva read the note over again.

"All in due time, my dear. Until then, I've been instructed to take you back to the Pool. You've already been here too long," Mary said. So, Eva was taken back to the Pool of Eternity. She stood at the edge of the Pool for a moment, talking to Mary.

"But I still have so many questions," Eva said, on the verge of whining.

"All of your questions will be answered, but you must come back when the time is right. You are more powerful than you know, Evangeline," Mary said.

"Very well, I'll be back," Eva said sadly.

"Remember, time is a very tricky thing," Mary said kindly. Eva wanted to ask her what she meant, but she didn't get the chance to. Mary had already shoved her back into the Pool of Eternity.

~*~

Eva came to the surface of the river where she had fallen in earlier and was now being swept downstream very gently. When the bank came down to meet the river she pulled herself out of the frigid water.

"Talia!" Eva called out to her horse. "Talia!" The horse didn't appear. "Where could she be?" she asked herself.

So, without a horse, and dripping cold water the whole way, she made her way back to Ellesmera.

~*~

Eva staggered through the forest after she'd been walking for hours. It was quite strange: she had left the Pool of Eternity when it was night time, but, when she came back, it was broad daylight.

"One more hill and I'll be home," Eva said to herself, willing her body to keep going. She stumbled over a tree root at the top of the hill, but picked herself back up. Eva entered the city and made her way to the palace, damp, dirty, and very tired.

She made it to the palace and, slowly, opened the doors to the throne room. Queen Islanzadi was sitting on her throne discussing important matters with an advisor. When Eva entered everyone looked up at her and looks of shock came over all of their faces.

"Eva!" the queen yelled, jumping out of her seat. Eva thought that she was angry at her for coming in so dirty and moved forward to apologize, but was met with a surprise. The queen ran up to her and grabbed her in a tight embrace. For a moment, Eva didn't return the hug, but lightly hugged her after a few seconds. "We've all been so worried!" the queen said, and Eva could tell that she was crying.

"I've only been gone for a few hours," Eva said, very confused now. Queen Islanzadi pulled away from her and looked at her like she was crazy.

"What are you talking about, Eva? You've been missing for nearly two months. We were all so worried when Talia came back without you and we sent out search parties. We even had some of the elves try to scry you, but still no one could find you. Where have you been?" she said.

"Two months!" Eva said incredulously. Then Mary's words echoed in her head. '_Remember, time is a tricky thing.'_

"What happened to you, Eva?" the queen asked her. By this time all of her advisors had gathered around and were listening intently.

"I think we should discuss it later tonight when not so many prying ears are around," Eva said quietly. The queen nodded and hugged Eva again.

"Come, let's get you all cleaned up. I have someone who wants to see you," Islanzadi said. Eva had a questioning look on her face but the queen only smiled and led her to her room.

After Eva took a hot bath, she put on a new tunic that was a midnight blue, and black leather breeches. Evangeline came out of her room and walked down the hallway. When she rounded the corner, something hard hit her in the face. She let loose a cry of pain and fell to the floor. A surprising sound came to her ears: the sound of someone else crying out in pain.

Eva looked up and saw a boy struggling to his feet in front of her. He stood up straight and she saw that he was tall, taller than her at least. His sandy blonde hair barely came past his eyebrows and he had deep, brown eyes. He looked down at her and extended his hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry, forgive me," he said. Eva gladly took it and he helped her to her feet.

"It's alright, I wasn't watching where I was going," she said, brushing a little dirt off of her tunic.

"Um, do you think you could help me? I'm a bit new around here and I don't know where I'm going. I'm looking for the throne room," he said, his brown eyes staring intently into her hazel eyes.

"Oh, yes, I was just on my way ther," Eva said. "Come with me." She started walking down the hall and the boy followed her. They made their way through the palace and finally came to the throne room. Eva entered through a side door and the boy came in close behind.

"There you are!" Queen Islanzadi said when she came in. "Come over here, someone wants to see you." The queen placed her with her back to the throne and just continued to smile, the boy slipping into a shadowy corner.

"Who is it, m'lady?" Eva asked. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her from behind. Eva turned around and let out an exited scream. "Arya!" Warmly, she embraced her foster sister and they both laughed together.

"Evangeline," Arya said seriously, "where have you been?"

"I'm sorry, Arya, but I can't talk about it right now. People might be listening," Eva said as the two of them pulled away from each other.

"Oh, Evangeline, I want you to meet someone, although it looks like you already have." Arya beckoned the boy over and he came to stand next to them.

"Hello," he said, "Arya has talked a lot about you since we've been here."

"Evangeline, this is Eragon." Eva's eyes widened as she gave a little gasp.

"Eragon!" she yelled in surprise. "The Dragon Rider!" He smiled and nodded, shrugging his shoulders innocently, but still, something was a little off about him. "Something is troubling you," she stated.

"Me?" he said innocently. "No, I'm fine."

"Don't try to lie to her, Eragon," Arya said, putting a protective arm around her adoptive sister's shoulder. "She can read eyes better than anyone I've ever met."

"What happened?" Eva asked gently. "Someone died, didn't they? At the battle?"

Eragon slowly nodded his head. "My best friend," he said sadly. His face had a grieved look on it while he spoke.

"I'm so sorry, Eragon. Who was he?" she asked softly, putting her hand gingerly on his shoulder.

"His name was Murtagh." Her hand snapped back and went to her mouth. Eragon and Arya looked at her strangely. "What's wrong?" Eragon asked.

"Murtagh?" she said through her hand. "The son of Morzan?" Eragon nodded slowly, his eyes clouded with confusion. And then the tears came. Eva tried to hold them back, but she just couldn't.

"Did you know him?" Arya asked, just as confused as Eragon. Eva nodded and choked out a few words.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," she said. Eva pushed past Eragon and threw open the doors, quite startling a gigantic blue dragon. Eva ran out of the palace and out to the forest. She made it to Oromis's house, but he wasn't there. Eva sank to her knees and continued to sob uncontrollably.

When she was a little girl, Eva and her family lived in Morzan's castle as servants. One day when she was five years old, she was scrubbing the floors in the foyer and, as she was cleaning, she felt someone pull on her hair. She looked behind her and there stood a little dark haired boy holding a ruby red apple.

"Ouch! That hurt!" she had yelled indignantly. The boy had an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry," he had said softly, "I only wanted to know if you'd like to have my apple." Evangeline had been touched by his act of kindness since no one had ever really been nice to her in the castle.

"Oh, sure, I'd love your apple." He had handed her the apple and from then on they'd been best friends. They played together whenever they got a chance until Eva found out that he was Murtagh, the son of Morzan, then they had been a bit more secretive about their meetings.

They had been playing together on the day that she and her family fled the castle. Morzan had stumbled upon them. Morzan became so enraged that his son was playing with a servant that he had lashed out at Murtagh, leaving a nasty bruise on his son's face. Eva had run away and the last time that she ever saw Murtagh. Eva's mother was afraid that Morzan would come for her daughter, so they escaped from the castle.

Evangeline had never expected to hear his name again, but now hearing it at the news of his death was a complete shock to her system. It was true that she'd been thinking about him lately but this was all just too much for her.

"I can't believe he's gone," she whispered to herself. After crying for a few more minutes, Evangeline got up off the ground and headed back to the palace. She went straight to her room without stopping to talk to anyone and slammed the door, locking it firmly behind her. She sat down on the bed and stared down at her hands as she snapped her fingers, causing little bolts of lightning to shoot up and come back down.


	5. Revelation

**A/N: Hi everybody! I'm really sorry that it's taken so long to get this chapter up. The good news is that I have finished writing out all of the chapters for the first installment in the series, and even the beginning of the second part. Now all that's left to do is type them up. I will try to be better about updating, but I can't promise anything. That being said…Forward! **

Eva woke up a few hours later and looked out the window to see that night had fallen. Slowly, she got up and walked towards the door. She opened it and made her way to the private dining room.

She entered and everyone was sitting at the table, including the massive dragon. Somehow, it had gotten inside the palace and was now sitting waiting for dinner to come.

"Hello," she said quietly. Everyone stared at her as she sat down; they could all tell that she was hurting.

"How are you doing?" Queen Islanzadi asked her gently as she sat next to Arya, directly across from Eragon.

"How do you think she's doing?" Arya asked softly but cynically. Eva looked over at Arya.

"It's alright, Arya. I'm doing better. I just needed some time to myself," Eva said.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Eragon asked her.

_Looks like you just did, _she thought bitterly. Slowly she shook her head and Eragon continued.

"How do you know Murtagh?"

"I thought you might ask that," she said quietly. "I'll tell you all. Ever since I can remember my mother, father, and I lived and worked at Morzan's castle as servants. Murtagh and I practically grew up together. We were the best of friends. But, his father was outraged when he found out about our friendship. It's my fault that he was almost killed.

"His father caught us playing together one day and was so angry that he nearly killed his own son. That was the last time I saw him; close to death and lying in a pool of his own blood.

"My mother feared for my life as well as hers and my father's, so we ran. I was eight and he was ten at the time." She fell silent and everyone just sat there, absorbing her words. It was the first time that she'd ever actually told the story, and certainly the first time she'd ever spoken of Murtagh.

"That's amazing," Eragon said in awe. "How did you escape Morzan's castle?"

"It definitely wasn't easy, but we knew our way around. It was only after we got across the river that Morzan killed my parents," she said. Right then, the food came out and they began to eat.

"So Eva, tell us where you have been for the past two months," the queen said impatiently.

"I don't want any prying ears to hear; it was quite strange," Eva said softly. Eragon muttered a few words that Eva knew were from the Ancient Language.

"Now no one can hear what we're saying from outside the room," he said.

"Thank you," Eva replied. "It all started this morning, which was two months ago for all of you, when I went out flying on Talia. We landed in a clearing and then we were almost attacked by a ferocious black shadow creature. It chased us through the forest and I fell into the river. I blacked out and when I came to, someone was pulling me out of the water.

"I came out of the water and ended up in this place called the Pool of Eternity. It was…"

"The Pool of Eternity!" Arya's yelling and the queen's incredulous look interrupted her. "That place is said to be a myth. You're telling me that you were actually there?"

"Yes. I must have been. I was only there for a couple hours and you all are saying that I've been gone for two months!" Evangeline yelled back. "There was a woman there who told me that time is a tricky thing, and I think she was right."

"Time can be very deceptive," Eragon interjected. "That's what Saphira said anyways."

"I'm telling you, that's where I was," Eva said, trying her hardest to convince them all.

"Come now, let's not argue. Just eat," the queen said, silencing them all. They continued to eat in silence until the meal was over, then they parted.

Evangeline left the palace grounds and crossed the seemingly empty practice fields. She went into the stables to see Talia. "Hello there," she said lovingly to her horse. The mare whinnied excitedly at the sight of her lost owner. "Just wanted to let you know that I am safe." It was almost as if Talia could understand every word that she was saying. Eva could almost see the knowing swirling in her dark brown eyes.

Shortly afterward, Eva left the stables and crossed the moonlit practice fields. "Hello there," a voice said from behind her. Eva whipped her head around and her stomach lurched. "Look who decided to come back from the dead."

"Leave me be, Vanir. I'm really not in the mood right now," Eva said impatiently.

"Oh, so you _were _in the mood all those other times?" he asked, a sneer crossing his face.

"I want to be left alone, Vanir," she growled. "I'm in mourning." She turned to leave him but suddenly felt a sharp, stinging pain in her shoulder. "Ahh!!" she cried out in pain. Vanir's nails were digging into her arm, preventing her from leaving.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked menacingly, an evil grin on his face.

"Get your hands off me! Let me go!" she screamed, trying to wrench away from his grasp, but in vain.

"You're not going anywhere!" he yelled. Vanir grabbed her hair, roughly pulling her closer to his face.

Suddenly, Eva was pulled away from Vanir, and a chunk of her hair went with him. She screamed in pain as she hit the ground. Looking up, she saw Eragon punch Vanir squarely in the jaw and he fell to the ground.

Eragon turned around and helped her up. "Are you alright?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her as she cowered against his chest. Vanir struggled to his feet and wiped the blood off his chin with the back of his hand.

"You better watch yourself, Rider," Vanir said through gritted teeth. He pointed his finger at both of them and then stalked off, his pride hurting more than his jaw.

"Did he hurt you?" Eragon asked Eva, holding her protectively.

"No, no, I'm alright. He didn't hurt me too badly," she said reassuringly.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked again. Eva nodded her head vigorously, pulling away from Eragon's tight hold. "What were you doing out here at this time of night?"

"I was just going to take a little walk. I need to collect my thoughts. So much has happened today," Eva said, holding her sore shoulder "Would you like to join me?"

"Um, sure. I guess," Eragon said. "Should I call Saphira in case…_he _comes back?" he asked, pointing his thumb back towards the palace.

"No, no, I just want to talk to you…about Murtagh," she said, turning toward the forest.

"Oh," he said quietly. They set off toward a path in the forest and disappeared into the darkness. For a while, they walked in silence until, finally, Evangeline broke the invisible wall.

"How did you meet him?" she asked quietly, folding her arms across her chest.

"He saved my life, and Arya's. I think after that we were just destined to be friends. He was a great sparring partner." Eva laughed and nodded.

"I always knew he would be a great swordsman. He was always playing with wooden swords and challenging me to duels. It was in his eyes, even though we were just children," Eva said nostalgically. "What was he like?" she asked.

"Funny, but serious at the same time," he replied, "and always trying to prove that just because he was the son of Morzan didn't mean that he was like his father. Right up until the very end. He had to break out of jail to help fight, and win, the battle of Farthen Dur."

"Why was he in jail? What did he do?" Eva asked incredulously.

"He was in jail because Morzan was his father, and also because he wouldn't allow his mind to be searched. Ajihad felt he was a threat, but he convinced him to let him out of jail and he helped us win the battle. After the battle was over, he led a group of warriors into the tunnels after a band of Urgals that had escaped, and he didn't come back. I tried to scry him, but all I saw was darkness, nothing else," Eragon said solemnly. Eva said nothing for a long time.

"He sounds just like I remember him at ten years old, only older, and braver," she said, on the verge of tears.

"He never said anything about you, though," Eragon said, not exactly helping the situation.

"No, I wouldn't expect him to remember me. It's been so long," she said, chuckling, but a single tear escaped her eye.

"Did you love him?" Eragon asked out of the blue. Eva whipped her head around.

"What? No. I guess you could say we were childhood sweethearts, but I was way too young to know what real love was," Eva said, shaking her head.

"I don't know Evangeline…"

"Please, call me Eva if you can help it," she said, cutting him off.

"Okay, Eva. I think it's possible. It sure sounds like you were in love with him." She shook her head vigorously.

"Eragon, I was only eight years old, and he was only ten. It's not possible," she said.

Eragon just shrugged his shoulders and they continued to walk. "I think we should start heading back. It's getting late." Eva agreed and they headed back to the palace.

As they crossed the practice fields Eva drew closer to Eragon, still a little afraid that Vanir would come after her. Eragon noticed this and went into protective mode.

"Don't worry about him, Eva. I won't let him get you," he said.

"Thanks. You know, you're a lot different than I had pictured you," Eva said, smiling.

"So are you," he replied. "From what Arya told me about you, it just seemed like you'd be different."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" she asked teasingly.

"I don't know. I like you well enough so I guess it's a good thing you're not different," he said.

"Thanks. Well, I guess this is goodnight." In the time they had been talking they had made it back to Eva's bedroom door.

"Yeah. I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Eragon said. "Goodnight."

"Night." Eva stepped into her bedroom. She closed the door and changed into her nightclothes. She crawled into bed and stared up at the ceiling, just thinking about everything that Eragon had said.

It was a lot to take in. Murtagh sounded like he'd really grown up in the last eight years. It was hard to grasp the fact that he would have been eighteen years old now: a man. What was even harder to imagine was that she was sixteen now. Most human girls her age would be getting married and starting families. Would she ever do that? They'd both grown up too fast and now it was all too late, and he was gone.

She thought about what Eragon had said and realized that he might be right. But she wasn't sure. Her memories and her feelings betrayed her some of the time. Maybe she loved him, maybe she didn't, but that didn't matter now. Murtagh was dead, and there was nothing she could about it.


	6. Training

**A/N: Hey everyone! So, so, so, so, SO sorry that it's taken this long to update but I've been caught up with my other Eragon fanfiction and I actually lost the writing for this story because I'm in the process of moving right now so it's been really crazy around here for a while. But, I have had requests to update and I finally found the writing, so here you go. **

**Oh, and another thing: I do realize that the characters are OOC, but I wrote it that way on purpose because I didn't want the story to be like the original Inheritance Cycle. So please, stop pointing that out because I'm not going to change it now when everything is already written out. Ok, now I'm done. Sorry this A/N was so long. **

The next morning, Eva awoke early and went to have breakfast in the library. Eva sat in a large, comfortable chair by the window, reading a book about the Dragon Riders and eating various pieces of fruit. Eva was so engrossed in her book that she didn't notice that someone else had entered the library. Suddenly, a sharp pain went up her right arm. Eva dropped her book and took hold of her shoulder.

She had forgotten about the incident that occurred the night before, and now her shoulder was in a lot of pain. She let out a little cry as her touch made the pain worse.

"You said you were all right last night." In an instant, Eragon was kneeling by her side, his eyes swirling pools of chocolate and full of concern.

"Last night, I was," Eva said, obvious pain in her voice. Eva sucked in her breath and gripped her arm tighter.

"Come on. Let's get you to the infirmary," Eragon said, helping her out of the chair. Eragon took her down the hall and they entered the infirmary together. There was an elf there that helped Eva to a bed.

"Let's have a look at that shoulder," the elf said, opening up Eva's tunic and pulling the sleeve off her shoulder. Right where Vanir had grabbed her shoulder were five, evenly spaced welts and a massive bruise.

"That doesn't look too good," Eragon said, looking over Eva's bare skin.

"Oh, it'll be all right," the she-elf said. "I'll just go get some ointment and we'll bandage it up. You'll be fine in a few days." The woman walked off to the supply closet and left the two alone for a moment.

"Well, Vanir certainly has left a mark on me. I'll never forgive him for this. I knew how he felt about me, and I rejected him, but I never thought he'd go this far," Evangeline said.

"He seems to really have it out for us now. When he left last night, he seemed really angry," Eragon said, plopping down on the bed to Eva's left.

"That's why I'm afraid for myself, and you. I never really got to thank you properly for saving me last night," she said softly.

"It's no big deal, really. I'm used to rescuing damsels in distress," Eragon said, smiling cockily. Eva punched him playfully in the arm and they laughed together.

"But seriously, Eragon, I really don't know how to thank you enough," Eva said. At that moment, the elf woman came back with the ointment and bandages. She rubbed the oil on Evangeline's shoulder then proceeded to wrap it thickly in a bandage.

"There you go," she said when se was done. "That should do it." Eva pulled her sleeve back on and re-buttoned her tunic.

"Thank you, ma'am," Eva said, getting up and leaving the infirmary with Eragon.

"Better?" Eragon asked her as they walked down the bright corridor.

"Much," she replied.

"Good," he said. They kept on walking and then went outside together. As they walked together, they came upon the queen.

"Ah, there you two are. I've been looking for you all morning. Eragon, today you will start your training. Evangeline, come here. I want to speak to you." The queen beckoned her over and they went to speak privately.

"Is something wrong, m'lady?" she asked the queen.

"No, no, there's nothing wrong," the queen assured her. "Eragon is going to start training with Oromis today, and I wanted to tell you something. You see, I have spoken to Oromis and he told me of your plans to leave with Eragon. I believe that if you trained with him then you be able to hone your skills, then you will be ready."

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I was afraid to tell you, thinking you might become angry. But I'm so happy you approve," Eva said, hugging her adoptive mother.

"Alright then. Eragon," she called over to the Rider, "please come with us." Eva went to walk with Eragon when, suddenly, Saphira landed next to him.

"Oh, there you are, Saphira," he said. "Um, Eva, Saphira wants to talk to me. Sorry."

"Oh, okay. We'll just talk later then," Eva said, speeding up her pace to leave Eragon and Saphira behind. After a while of walking through the forest, they finally made it to Oromis' hut.

"I will leave you now," the queen said. And with that, she turned and walked back through the forest.

"Where are we?" Eragon asked. But, before Eva could answer him, he already knew. Glaedr flew over their heads and landed on the cliff, Oromis climbing off his back. Eragon's eyes widened and Saphira let loose a surprised snort.

"Eragon, Saphira, this is Oromis and Glaedr," Eva said. All Eragon could manage to do was nod his head, his mouth slightly hanging open. Oromis came over to them and went straight to Eva.

"Eva, I heard you were back. All you all right?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Ouch!" she cried out as his hand pressed against her injured shoulder. "Be careful, Oromis." She pulled out of his hold, a grimace of pain on her face.

"What happened?" he asked, concern prominent in his voice.

"It's a long story. Oromis, this is Eragon and Saphira," she said, gesturing toward the still gaping Eragon.

"Welcome, Eragon Shadeslayer," Oromis said regally, turning to the younger Dragon Rider.

"Thank you," Eragon replied in disbelief.

"Well, shall we all go inside? No point in us staying out here," Oromis said. So, Eragon, Evangeline Oromis went inside the hut, while Glaedr and Saphira stayed outside together.

"Well, this is it, Eragon. This is where we'll be training together," Eva said.

"Together?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes," Oromis replied. "Eva is going to be going with you on your journey when you're finished training."

"What?" he exclaimed. "You're coming with us?" Eva nodded her head excitedly while Eragon just continued to beam widely.

"Yes," Oromis repeated. "And today, we will begin with your magic. I believe that Eva will be a suitable sparring partner."

"What?!" Eva and Eragon said in unison.

"Yes," Oromis said blankly. "Come now. Outside, the both of you." Oromis got up and ushered them out of the hut. "Now, get into position."

"Oromis, I don't think this is such a good idea," Eva said uncertainly.

"It'll be fine, Evangeline. Just use it like you normally would," Oromis said reassuringly.

"But Oromis, I may hurt him. My magic is so different; it's just too unpredictable," she said.

"Don't worry," Eragon said, taking a stance, "you won't hurt me." Eva put her hands on her hips in annoyance.

"Alright, fine. Have it your way," she said. She stalked about ten feet from him and took her own stance.

"Brisingr!" Eragon yelled out. A jet of blue flame erupted from his hand and headed straight for Eva. She simply stretched out her hand and moved it to the side in a sweeping motion. In an instant, the fire disappeared. "What the hell was that?!" he yelled indignantly.

"That all you got?!" Eva countered triumphantly. "Let's see if you can handle this." Eva stood up straight and raised her hands above her head. The wind began to blow and Eragon stood watching in awe. Finally, Eva snapped her fingers loudly and two bolts of lightning shot from her fingertips.

Eragon ducked and fell to the ground, barely getting out of the way in time. "I see you've got a few tricks up your sleeve," he said, struggling back to his feet.

"That's not all I've got," she retorted. Eva spread her palm and swept it in front of her, causing a jet of black flame to arc out in front of her, heading straight for Eragon. He moved out of the way just in time, but this time, he ran for Evangeline.

"Fine, you want to play like that, I'll play," he cried out fiercely. He said something in the Ancient Language that Eva didn't understand and then a saber of ice appeared in his hand. He jumped up and tried to lung at Eva, but she moved aside and blasted him with a torrent of water from her hand. That's when the hand-to-hand combat began.

Eva curled her hand into a fist and made a punching motion, spewing fire everywhere, but Eragon managed to get out of the way. He lunged at her again, but she knocked aside his fist and did a back flip in an attempt to het away.

In an effort to even the playing field, Eva spread her hand and made her own ice saber. She made as if lunge at him with her ice-sword, but he was too good of a swordsman. They moved this way and that, but their swordsmanship was too evenly matched.

In a single instant when Eva's guard dropped, Eragon got behind her and got her in a chokehold, but it didn't last long. Eva grabbed his arm and flipped him over in front of her. He struggled to his feet but Eva quickly knocked him down with a blast of air from her palm. But before he hit the ground, he swiped out with his leg, knocking her legs from underneath her.

Eva fell forward right on top of Eragon and got into sitting position on top of him. She grabbed her ice saber and lodged it directly on his throat at the exact moment that Eragon did the same.

"Enough!" Oromis yelled. But neither of them tore away from their interlocking stares. "I have seen enough," he said, and then walked off.

Eva lifted her saber in the air and thrust in into the ground right next to Eragon's head. Slowly, she leaned downward and whispered in his ear, "Did I hurt you?" in a triumphant and mocking voice. "Not what you expected was it?" Intentionally slow, Eva stood up over him and stalked off, her swelled pride leading the way. She knew she'd won, and it showed.

Eragon struggled up off the ground and watched her go, amazed at what had just happened. Eva disappeared into Oromis' hut and Eragon was left alone in bewilderment.


	7. A Call To Arms

**A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry this took so long to get up but my life has been crazy hectic right now. I won't bore you with the details, but it's been hard to find time for all of my fics. Anyways, here you go with chapter 7. Oh yeah, I decided not to do a trilogy and to just have it be this one story. OK, now on with chapter 7. **

This routine carried on for many months. Either they would study history together, learn about magic, or spar together, Eva always coming out the victor. One day, Eragon finally plucked up the courage to ask Eva a simple question that had been plaguing him for a long time.

"Eva, how do you do that?" he finally asked when they were given a bit of free time. Eva settled next to Eragon as they sat on the cliff.

"I wish I could tell you, Eragon," she replied sadly. "I myself don't even know how it all works. I just imagine the element in my head, then make a movement and it happens."

"So," he continued, "you don't have to speak any words in your head? Because I know you don't speak them out loud."

"No," she replied. "I just imagine what I'm going to do, then I do it. Simple as that."

"That's very strange. I've never head of a magic like that," he said, taking a bite out of an apple he'd smuggled.

"Nor I, to be sure. But, that's just the way it works. There's nothing I can do about it," she said.

"I wish you were able to teach me how to do it. That kind of magic seems a lot easier. You never seem to have your energy drained," he muttered sadly.

"Well, I _don't _have my energy drained. But, I do have a theory about how it works," she said.

"Well, what is it? Your theory, I mean."

"All it is, is to just try channeling all your magic to your thoughts. I thought that might be it, but no one else has ever tried it. And besides, it sounds very risky."

"Yes, but I think it's worth the risk. If you've discovered a new way to use magic, that might be groundbreaking."

"But I'm not sure if it is just a new way to use magic, or a new kind of magic all together."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, can you do this?" Eva held out her palm and another ball of black flame formed in her hand. Eragon stared in disbelief and she closed her palm, snuffing the fire out.

"Um, no," he replied, realizing Evangeline's point. "This is all just too strange."

"You're telling me," she scoffed. "At least you don't have to live day to day not really knowing who you are or where you come from."

"I'm sorry if I made you angry," he said softly. "I didn't mean to."

Eva turned her head and looked deep into his eyes that were so full of emotion. "Oh," she said, her tone softened, "no, it's not you fault. I just get a little carried away sometimes when it comes to that subject. Don't worry about it."

Eragon didn't say anything, he just held her gaze. Trying hard to read his eyes, Eva returned it. She looked deep within, and, finally, the emotion shone through. But, she wasn't sure she liked what she saw. Before she could say anything, Eragon made a motion.

Slowly, he reached up and touched her cheek, his touch surprisingly gentle. Eva knew what was coming, but was too afraid to move. He leaned forward slowly, but still she didn't dare move a muscle. Their faces got closer and closer until, finally, their lips touched. In an instant, Evangeline was in what seemed to be heaven. She returned the kiss and grabbed hold of the back of his neck.

She felt as if she was floating in air and that everything was going to be all right. But, she was pulled back down to earth all too quickly. Her eyes opened wide and she quickly jerked away from him.

She jumped up and backed away slowly. "Eragon, I—I'm sorry. I can't," she said, quite in shock at what had just happened. "I can't deal with Murtagh's death and this all at once." Eragon got up and moved toward her, but she continued to back away.

"Eva, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me," he said, reaching out for her. "Please, I just—"

"No," she cut him off. "I need to be alone." She turned and ran, heading back to the palace and the sanctity of her bedroom.

Eva slammed the door behind her and fell face first on the bed. She grabbed a pillow and screamed into it in anger. "What just happened?" she screamed. Out of anger more than sadness, Evangeline began to cry. "Argh! I was so stupid!"

Eva sat up and leaned against the pillows, hugging her knees to her chest. "What's happening to me? I barely know Eragon. Ugh, I hate being a teenager."

The next few months passed by in a hazy blur. The Agaeti Blodhren came and went, with it a new version of the elvish Eragon. Eva and Eragon barely spoke to each other, avoiding as much contact as possible.

Then, that fateful day came. It started out normally, breakfast and then preparing to go to her training. When, suddenly, Arya threw open the door to Eva's room.

"Evangeline! Hurry, come quick! Emergency!" she yelled. Then, as soon as she came, she went. Oh dear, this wasn't good. Arya had called Evangeline. She only called her that when she was in trouble, which hadn't happened in a long time, or when something was seriously wrong.

Eva ran down the hallway as quickly as she could without stopping until she got to the throne room. Eva burst through the door, and saw Arya and Eragon standing before Queen Islanzadi's throne, along with Saphira.

"Eva, good. You're here," the queen said very calmly.

"What's wrong?" she yelled, coming to stand by all the others. "What's going on?"

"The Varden are on the move," Eragon said. "They make their way to Surda."

"What?" Eva said incredulously. "Why?"

"They feel as though they will have a better chance there if Galbatorix attacks, which is very possible," Arya said.

"What are we going to do?" Eva asked. Everyone fell silent, until finally, Eragon spoke.

"I'm leaving, along with Arya. We're going to join them there," he said.

"I'm coming too," Evangeline interjected quickly.

"Eva, Saphira can't hold more than two people, and there's no way you can keep up on horse," Eragon argued.

Eva took a small step forward and growled, "You don't have to worry about that."

Evangeline looked over at Eragon and Arya riding on Saphira as she soared alongside them on Talia. Eragon looked over at her in turn and she quickly averted her eyes. Things were still tense between them, and they still weren't really talking to each other. But Eva could fell that something big was about to happen, involving them; something that would change their relationship forever. Good or bad though, Eva couldn't tell.

After many days and nights of travel, they finally made it to Surda's capital, Aberon. They made it to the king's castle and met up with Nasuada, leader of the Varden since her father Ajihad's death.

"I'm so glad you came before Galbatorix did, Eragon Shadeslayer," Nasuada said regally as they all sat around a little table.

"As am I, Nasuada," Eragon said. Something about him had changed; the way he spoke was different and he looked somewhat strange, more serious, maybe, Eva thought. "What is our plan of action?" he continued.

"We make our way to the Burning Plains in two days time. That is where Galbatorix's armies are going to meet us head on," Nasuada said. "We've called on Hrothgar for help, but it's unlikely that he'll make it in time."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Eva interjected. Nasuada turned her head and gazed at her, a look of contempt on her face.

"Excuse me, but who are you exactly?" she asked, a bit rudely.

Evangeline opened her mouth to snap back something very witty, but Eragon cut her off before she could speak. "Nasuada," he said, "this is Evangeline. She's a friend of mine and quite a magnificent magic user. I myself have yet to beat her in a magic sparring match."

At this, Nasuada's eyebrows went up. "Really?" she said slowly. "That's quite an accomplishment. I know how good you are at magic, Eragon." Nasuada stood up. "In that case, welcome, Evangeline."

Eragon and Arya went off together to discuss battle strategies and Nasuada went to do the same with her advisors, leaving Eva alone for the rest of the day.

She wandered aimlessly around the palace where they were staying, just taking in the sights and sounds. She saw out a window all the soldiers preparing for the impending battle, and a strange looking girl with them; a girl with violet eyes.

There wasn't much to do, so as soon as night fell, she went off to the room she and Arya were sharing. She crawled into bed and was asleep in no time at all.

**Ok, that's it for now. The girl with the violet eyes is just a cameo of a character from my other Inheritance Cycle story, but their storylines don't mix at all. I just thought it would be kinda fun to throw her in there for a second. Anyways, hope you liked it! Please review and tell me what you thought! **


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